Electric signal system.



PATENTED APR. 2, 1907.

w. THOMAS. ELECTRIC SIGNAL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3, 1906.

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No. 849,287. v PATENTED APR. 2, 1907. I W. M. THOMAS.

ELECTRIC SIGNAL SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED we. s, 1906.

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THE NORRIS PETERS co., wAsHmpYoN, n. c.

rinrrnn STATES Parana orrron.

WVILLIAM M. THOMAS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO OTTOEISENSOHIML, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC SIGNAL SYSTEM.

Fatented April 2, 1907.

Application filed August 3,1906. Serial No- 329,019-

To (.LZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Signal Systems,of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to improvements in electric signal systems. One ofthe objects of my invention is to provide in an electric signal system asimple means for generating a series of electrical impulses by theoperation of a mechanicallymoved member, such as a lever, and totransmit the said impulses over a circuit automatically established bythe movement of the said movable member.

Another object of my invention is to provide a means of the characterdescribed adapted to be set into operation by any one of a plurality oflevers and having a plurality of circuits and responsive bells or otherde vices contained in said circuits, respectively, in connection withthe said means for gener ating the electrical impulse, the said operablemember or lever being the instrumentality for determining the circuitover which said impulses are to be transmitted.

Another object of my invention is to provide a means whereby a definiteand predetermined number of electrical impulses may be generated, thenumber of impulses being in correspondence with the extent to which thelever is moved.

Another object of my invention is to provide a means for generatingelectrical impulses comprising a magneto electric machine simple inconstruction .and reliable in operation.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation in section, taken on lines 1 1of Fig. 2 of my socalled electric generator. Fig. 2 is a front view,part in section, taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinalsection taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section taken on line Ai of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section of the automatic switch, taken on line5 5 of Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a front view of the automatic switch. Fig. 7 isan isometric view of the armature or inductor of the generating-dynamo.Fig. 8 is a front view of a plurality of movable members or handlesconnected by a common shaft adapted to operate the same singularelectric generator for producing electric impulses to be transmittedover the circuit corresponding with the member which is moved to impartthe necessary motion to the generator. Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view ofthe circuit of my improved system.

In all the views the same characters of reference are used to indicatelike parts.

My invention is especially applicable to door-bell signaling,particularly in ap artmentbuildings, where a plurality of circuits eachcontaining one or more bells radiate from a given point, such as thevestibule of such apartment-buildings.

My invention contemplates the use of a single source of electricity,such as a dynamoelectric machine, preferably the magnetoelectric type,adapted and arranged to be set into electrical operation by the movementof any one of a plurality of handles or other moving member common tothe system, the arrangement being such that the act of moving the handleoperates a switch which selects the circuit through which the impulse sogenerated is to be transmitted accomplished by the preliminary movementof a given handle closing the circuit or causing the closure of thecircuit associated therewith.

It further contemplates the production of a predetermined number ofimpulses that may be generated by any or either one of said handles tosend a predetermined signal or series of signals over the circuitaffected by the said handle, which for this purpose is restricted to agreater or less extent in its movement, according to the number ofimpulses desired to be sent during a single movement thereof.

The current producing device consists, preferably, of a magneto-electricmachine having a movable inductor, a series of handles, preferablyjoined by means of a shaft, any one of the handles when moved beingcapable of setting the inductor of the magneto-electric generator ininductive operation to produce electrical impulses without disturbingthe remaining handles of the series, and a switch which automaticallyestablishes the circuit, by reason of the preliminary movement of agiven handle single to that particular handle over which the electricalimpulses will be transmitted.

1O 10 are permanent magnets for producing a magnetic field necessary forthe indieator 11. The magnets are held. in proper position by means ofbolts or screws 1.2 1.2, which take through housing-plates 13. Theinductor 11 is provided with a central core 14 and downwardly-extendingmagnetic pole-pieces 15 and 16 on either end thereof. Yoke-pieces 16 and16 are made of diamagnetic material, secured to the respectivepolepieces or heads 15 and 16 on either side of the inductor, and areprovided with outwardlyextending trunnions 17 and 17, which have pivotalbearings in. the housing-plates 13 13, so that the inductor 11 may befreely oscillated thereon. The core 14 of the inductor 11 is properlyinsulated and is surrounded by an electric coil 18, having a flexibleterminal 19, fixed to a part, such as the frame of the device, theremaining terminal being connected to the insulated. pin 20 in a mannerclearly shown in Fig. 1.

A spring 22, susceptible of adjustment by means of the threaded.stem-nut 23, is conneeted to the pin 20 and normally holds the inductor11 in the position shown in Fig. 1, in which the head or pole-piece 15is in magnetic contact with the negative pole of the magnet 10 and thepole-piece 16 in magnetic contact with the positive pole of the magnet10. The electric terminals of the device are the wires 24 and 25. A pin26 is lirmlyitixed into the end of the pole-piece 15 of the induc tor 11and projects through an opening in the wall-plate 27, upon which platethe device which I have just described is mounted A housing 28 issecured to the wall-plate 27 by means of screws 29 and 30. A shaft 31,which may be extended to a plurality of levers or pull-handles, findsbearing in the housing 28. A ratchet-wheel 32 is fixed to the shaft 31.A lever or pull-handle 33 is composed of arms 34 34 and is provided witha cross-bar 35. The handle 33 is curved so that its longitudinal centralportion extends rearwardly in proximity with the wall-pl ate 27, thefree terminal ends of the two arms 34 34 comprising the pull handle andcarrying the cross-bar 35, extending forwardly into a vertical planesubstantially perpendicular to the axis of the handle, so that thecross-bar 35 may be easily grasped by the hand in the act of pulling thehandle for sending signals in a manner to be hereafter described. A.ratchetarm 36 is provided with an outwardly-extending hub 37 and. isloosely journaled upon the shaft 31. The arm. 34 of the handle is fixedto the hub 37 of the ratchet arm 36. The ratchet-arm 36 on its free upper end carries a spring-pressed pawl 37, adapted to engage the teeth ofthe ratchetwheel 32. The arm 34 of the handle 33 is provided with a hub38, which extends into the housing 28 loosely over the shaft Acoil-spring 39 has one of its ends 40 connected to the hub 38 and theother end 41 connected to the side wall of the housing 28, the tensionof the spring serving to return the handle 33 to the normal positionshown in Fig. 1 and to retain. it in this position. The handle 33 isprovided with another cross-bar 42, which. is connected to the arms 34and 34. Said bar normally rests against the face of a button of apush-button switch A circuit including the )ushbutton switch when thehandle is in its normal position, such as shown in Fig. 1, is normallyopen.

Referring to Fig. 5, 44 is an electrical terminal of the push-switch.44. is the other terminal of the said switch, connected to the springs45 and 45, respectively. A spring pressed push-pin carries aconducting-disk 47 upon its inwardly-extelnling end, which diskiifnormally held in the position shown in Fig. 5 by the pressure ell'ectedby the spring 39 through the instrumentality of the handle 33 and thecross-bar 4.2, which serves to cornpress the sprii'rg 48 and move thedisk 47 to the position shown. "(hen the handle 33 is initially movedfrom its normal position and the cross-bar 42 no longer rests againstthe button 46, the tension of the spring 48 is suflicient to move thepush-pin. joining the button 46 and dish 47 forward and. to cause thedisk 47 to make electrical contact between. the terminal springs 45 and45 of the pushswitch. The front of the push-switch is provided with arotatable part +19, carrying lingers 50 and 51, which extendtransversely across th face of the disk in opposite directions and whichwhen turned to an an le of forty-live degrees from that shown in ligs. 1. and 6 serve to limit he n'iovenient of the handle 33 within a'u'edetermined distance, in closing and retaining the cross-bar 42within the limit circumscribed by the said lingers. Any other convenientmeans may be 0111 ployed for this purpose.

Referring to Fig. 8, it will be noticed that there are several pulldevices or handles, which are substantially sii'nilar in all substantialrespects to that shown in Fig. 2. These devices I have designated by thelirst three letters of the alphabet, A, B, and t, respectively, and theymay rra'zrescnt apartments corresponding to the respective designations.

Lil; parts are indicated by like referencenun'ierals, with thecorresponding exponent letter added.

A re 'n'cscnts the device whi h l have just described and which is shownclearly in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. There only one electric generator used,and that is shown mechanically connected with the pull-handle A.

Fig. 9 shows the diagram of connections when it is designed to arrangemore than one circuit and bell to be operated by the use of the samemagneto-clectric machine.

I will first describe the circuits and then the mode of operation.

Starting at the point 24 of the generator,

the circuit is completed over the wire 24 to the wire 44, to thecontact-spring 45, and when the handle 33 is moved forward by the effortof the person desiring to send the signal the disk is moved into theposition shown at A in Fig. 9 by means of the spring 48, so that thecircuit is closed between the spring-contacts 45 and 45 over the wire 45to the alternating-current signal-bell 52 over the wire 53 and the wire25 to the terminal 25, through the inductor of the generator to thestarting-point 24, thus completing the circuit through the bell 52 andringing the bell by virtue of the impulses generated by the forwardmovement of the handle 33, to be hereafter explained. Then the handle ofthe pull-lever A returns to its normal position, which position isclearly shown in Fig. 1, the disk 47 is back pressed by the effort ofthe spring 39, which returns the handle to this position, and is so heldpressed back, so that the circuit between the terminal springs 45 and 45are normally opened when the handles occupy their normal position ofrest.

In the illustration just described the circuit is not completed throughthe bells 52 and 52 for the reason that the disks 47 and 47 are normallyheld out of contact with the respective springs 45 and 45. Suppose nowthat the handle B be pulled forward in the act of sending a signal tobell 52 The circuit will then be complete from the starting-point 24,through the Wire 24, the wire 53 to the contact-spring 45 through thedisk 47 it being remembered that as the handle B has been pulled forwardthe disk 47 has been pressed into contact with the springs 45 and 45",respectively, over the wire 45*, through the bell 52*, over the wire 53,and over the wire 25 to the contact 25, through the inductor 11 of theelectric generator to the starting-point 24, thus ringing the bell 52when the handle corresponding therewith has been moved forward in theact of sending a signal to the said bell. After handle B has been pulledforward and the signal completed and subsequently released the spring 39will return the handle to its normal position, such as that shown inFig. 1, when the disk 47 will be pressed back out of contact with thespring-contacts 45 and 45, re spectively, thereby opening the circuit.Supposing it is now desirable to ring the bells 52, the handle 0 ispulled forward in the same manner, when the disk 47 will completeelectric circuit between the contacts 45 and 45", respectively. Thecircuit will then be completed as follows: Starting at the point 24, asbefore, the circuit will be complete over the wire 24*, the wire 53 thewire 53 to the contact 45", through the disk 47", the contact 45 overthe wire 45", through the bell 52, over the wire 53, the wire 53", andthe wire 25 to the contact 25, through the inductor 11 to thestarting-point 24, thus ringing bell 52". The handles of the pulls A andB when the handle C is moved forward remain in their normal position andundisturbed, and the corresponding disk 47 and 47 b are not pressedforward into contact with their respective terminal springs 45 45. Agreater number of bells and corresponding handles withconnecting-circuits may be included in the system when desirable, inwhich event it is necessarily essential that the shaft 31 should beconnected to all the handles.

It is apparent that a single device may be operated to ring a singlebell by the necessary manipulation of the electric generator. In thatevent the push-button switch 47 will not be necessary. It is alsoapparent that a greater number than three handles and correspondingcircuits and bells may be electrically energized by the same source ofelectric current in the manner heretofore described and that theoperation of a single handle will serve to energize and ring thecorresponding bell only of the system in which it is contained. Assumingthat there are a plurality of pulls connected to a single shaft, asshaft 31, and that it is desirable to manipulate the magneto-electricgenerator to produce the necessary number of impulses of electricity toring a given bell, the opera tion of the device is as folows: Thecross-bar 35 of the handle 33 is grasped by the hand and moved forwardagainst the resilience of the spring 39. The pawl-arm 36, which isconnected to the lever 33 of each handle, carries a pawl 37, whichengages in the teeth of the wheel 32, and the wheel is caused thereby tobe carried around with the handle As the teeth of the wheel 32successively pass the pin 26 of the inductor 11 the end 15 of theinductor is lifted thereby until it makes contact with the positive poleof the magnet 10, and coincidentally the pole or end 16 of the inductor1 1 makes contact with the negative end of the magnet 10. The lines offorce will therefore be threaded through the inductor from the pole 1 5,through the core 1 4, to the pole 16, and an impulse of electricity willbe induced in the inductive winding 18 and be sent to line in a givendirection and operate the clapper of the polarized signalbell to make astroke on the gong thereof. As soon as the tooth of the wheel 32 haspassed the pin 26 the spring 22 will raise the end 16 of the inductor 11into the position shown in Fig. 1, when the pole 16 makes contact withthe positive pole of the magnet 10, and coincidentally the pole 15 ofthe inductor 11 makes contact with the negative pole of the magnet 10.When in this position, the magnetic lines of force will pass through thepole 16 and the core 14 to the pole 15, thereby passing through theinductor in the opposite direction and inducing an impulse ofelectricity in the inductive coil 18 in the opposite direction, whichimpulse will be carried to line and through the polarized bell to movethe hammer of the bell in the opposite direction to make another strokeupon the gong. As the teeth of the wheel 32 pass the pin 26 the latteris successively raised into the position first described and when released is brought into the position last described by means of thespring 22, and at each successive movement impulses of electricityalternating in direction are sent to line and operate the selectedpolarized bell associated with the moved handle for producing thedesired signal.

The handle devices B and C are not supplied each with amagneto-generator, but op-- crate to rotate the shaft 31 and theratchetwheel 32 of the handle or pull A. When, for instance, the handle13 is pulled down, it retates its corresponding ratchet-wheel 32 to acorresponding extent, and it also rotates the correspondingratchet-wheels of the handles A and C through. the medium ol the shaft31. The ratchet wheel oi the handle A onl r serves to manipulate theinductor ot the magneto electric machine in the manner heretoforedescribed for the purpose of producing the necessary electricalimpulses, the pawls of the handles A and B raising sulliciently topermit their corresponding wheels il and 32 to be rotated without movingthe corresponding handles 33, and therefore not a'll'ecting thecorresponding push switches 47, thus retaining the respective circuitsoi the handles not moved in open-circuit condition, so that the currentmay not pass through said circuits when the handle of an.- other circuithas been moved. hen the retary part 4.9, carrying the lingers 5t) and51, is rotated so that the said lingers cross the bar 42, the handlecorresponding therewith will have a very limited movement, justsul'licient to move it so that the corresponding ratchet-wheel will bemoved the distance ol' the length of a single teeth by one movement oithe handle. 'lherel ore a single impulse will be sent over the circuitto the bell at each movement, and predctermined signals can by thismeans be arranged and transmitted. Of course it is evident that anyother means by which the handle may be circumscribed in its motion maybe employed, so that a definite number of impulses, greater than asingle impulse, may be produced by a definite movement of the handle forany and various purposes.

\Vhile I have described a single embodiment of my invention, it isevident that considerable departure may be made from the exempliiicationherein set forth without departure from the spirit and scope ol. myinvention.

Having thus described my invention, what Y I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a system of the characterdescribed, a dynamo-electric machine, aplurality or devices, one for each circuit, each adapted and arrangedfor impartingmotion to an inductive element of said machine, a pluralityof circuits included in said system, and a means for causing theenergization of a given circuit upon the movement oi themotion-imparting device associated with. said circuit.

2. In a system or the character described, a dynamo-clectric machine, aplurality of devices, one for each. circuit, each adapted and arrangedfor impartingmotion to an inductive element of said machine, a pluralityof normally open circuits included in said system, a circuit-closingswitch, automatically operating to close a given circuit upon themovement of the motion-imparting device associated with said circuit.

3. in a S VStU1T1 ol the character described, a dynamo-electric machineof the alternating type, having afield and an inductor, adapted andarranged to be relatively vibrated, a plurality of devices, one [or eachcircuit, arranged tor relatively vibrating said inductor and iield, aplurality or circuits included in said system, a means for causingenergization of a given circuit upon the movement of themotion-imparting device associated with said circuit.

41;. in a system oi the character described, a dynamo-electric machineoi the alternating type, having a iield and inductor adapted andarranged to be relatively vibrated, a movable device or handle, adaptedwhen moved, to impart movement in one direction to relatively vibratesaid inductor and iield, a spring to move said inductive device in theopposite direction, a means to return said handle to normal position, acircuit closed as a result of the movement oi said handle and a bell insaid circuit responsive to impulses of electricity from said machine,reoccurring in successive alternating directions.

5. In a system of the chara' ter described, a dynamo-electric machine ofthe alter nating type, having a iield and an inductor adapted andarranged to be relatively vibrated, a plurality of movable devices, onefor each circuit arrange d for relatively vibrating said ii 1- ductorand held, a plurality of .norn'ially open 1 circuits common to saidsystem, and a springimpellcd switch. for each circuit, adapted andarranged to automatically close a given circuit at the time when saidmotion-imparting device is initially moved.

6. In a system of the character described, a dynamo-electric machine, aplurality 01 motion imparting handles, a plurality of 1 electriccircuits containing alarm-bells, one i circuit for each handle,controlled by its respective handle, connections from said han 1 dieswhereby motion is independently imparted to an inducing member of saiddynamo, and means for including the coacting circuit with the dynamo atthe time when the respective handle is first moved to impart motion tothe proper element of the dynamo.

7. In a system of the character described, a dynamo having two inducingelements, one stationary and the other adapted and arranged o berelatively moved, a wheel having an uneven surface at or near itsperiphery, a projection from said relatively movable element, adaptedand arranged to engage said surfaces or teeth, a handle or the like, forimparting rotary motion to the Wheel to move the inducing element in onedirection, and a spring to move said element in the opposite direction.

8. In a system of the character described, a dynamo having two inducingelements, one stationary and the other adapted and arranged to berelatively moved, a wheel having an uneven surface at or near itsperiphery, a projection from said relatively movable element adapted andarranged to engage said teeth, a handle or the like, for impartingrotary motion to the wheel to move the inducing element in onedirection, a spring to move said element in the opposite direction, acircuit controlled by said handle, and a means such as a spring forreturning said handle lto normal position.

9. In a system of the character described, a means for directlyimparting motion to an inducing element of a dynamo-electric machine, tovibrate the same, comprising a handle, such as 33, a toothed Wheel, suchas 32 for imparting motion to the inductor, an engaging part, such aspin 26, a pawl, such as 37, for connecting said handle to said wheel,and a spring, such as 39, to return the handle to its normal position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM M. THOMAS.

In presence of Fom'zn BAIN, MARY F. ALLEN.

